Water ski board



Sept. 12, 1967 F. R. ALLENDER 3,340,554

WATER SKI BOARD Filed April 4, 1966 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3. INVENTOR. FOPRESTRALLENDER ATTORNEY P 12, 1967 F. R. ALLENDER 3,340,554 Y WATER SKI BOARD Filed April 4, 1966 v 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. FORREST R. ALLENDEA ATTORNEY United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A water ski board having a flat substantially triangular rigid member of uniform thickness throughout and symmetrical relative to a longitudinal center line along which is attached a hand line adjacent its front corner and a tow line spaced rearwardly of said tow line and extending forwardly from its point of attachment and below said member, said member having downwardly inwardly bevelled side edges and a rear edge transverse of said center line.

This invention relates to improvements in water ski boards.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a water ski board which is readily usable by inexperienced persons, which is inexpensive, which requires less power and speed to produce a planing action than is true with conventional water skis or water toboggans or planing boards, and which has a high degree of stability and safety.

A further object is to provide a water ski board which has a high degree of stability due to its shape, the location of the connection of a towing line thereto, and the location of the connection of a hand line thereon.

A further object is to provide a ski board of a generally triangular configuration having bevelled edges at its rearwardly diverging sides to enhance stability and maneuverability of the unit, to restore the unit to travel in a straight course after a turn and to insure true and straight following of the unit behind a towing boat both when the unit is occupied and when it is not occupied.

A further object is to provide a ski board which is stable in its operation without requiring the use of longitudinal ribs or fins.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the water ski board illustrating one embodiment thereof;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG; 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the ski board in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 and illustrating the connection of the tow line thereto and the connection of the hand grip line thereto;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a modified construction of the ski board;

FIG. '6 is a fragmentary top plan View of another modified construction of the ski board;

FIG. 7' is a fragmentary top plan view of another embodiment of the water ski board;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view illustrating the hand grip on the hand line of the device;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner and point of mounting of a seat on the ski board;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a board on which a seat is mounted; and

ice

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating another seat-rnounting for the device.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4 and 8 thereof which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 20 designates a board or panel which is rigid and of substantially flat or planar character and of substantially uniform thickness throughout. The board 20 is preferably buoyant and may be formed of wood, plywood, fiberglass, sheet steel or aluminum containing a buoyant filler such as polyurethane foam, or may be formed of polyurethane foam with a reinforcing frame, or of combinations of the above and other materials which provide a strong shape-retaining board or panel capable of supporting the weight of the user and of sustaining stress and impact during use. The board or panel is of generally triangular shape or outline, having a rear edge 22 from the ends of which converge equiangularly the side edges 24. The board is shaped symmetrically about its longitudinal axis or center line, being provided with a rounded or curved front portion 26 and rounded or curved rear corners 28. The side edges 24 and the rounded portions 26 and 28 are beveled downwardly and inwardly at 30 preferably at an angle from 45 to displaced from the top surface of the board. The beveled edge may be defined by a rubber or plastic molding (not shown) for safety of usage. If desired, the rear edge of the board at 22 may be substantially normal to the plane of the board, i.e. perpendicular thereto.

Any suitable means for anchoring a tow rope to the board may be provided. Thus one or more apertures 32 may be formed in the board 20 along the longitudinal axis or center line of the board and spaced rearwardly from the rounded front portion 26 and forwardly of the longitudinal center of the board. Each of the apertures 32 is preferably lined with a grommet 34. A tow rope 36 is passed through a selected one of the apertures and has one end thereof knotted or otherwise enlarged to provide abutment means adapted to bear against the top surface of the board 20 around the selected aperture. The tow rope 36 extends forwardly from the anchoring means or aperture at the under side of the board 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The tow rope will be of a length to permit attachment of the ski board to a towing boat (not shown) in a manner to allow substantial freedom of the board 20 for lateral manipulation thereof by the user while being towed. Thus the rope may be of a length of ten feet or longer and preferably will be of a length greater than twenty feet.

An aperture 40 is formed in the board 20 along the longitudinal center line thereof forwardly of the foremost aperture 32 and preferably adjacent the front rounded edge portion 26. The shank 42 of an eye bolt extends through the aperture 40'. The boil has an eye portion 44 and serves to anchor the base plate 46 of a water-deflecting member 48 to the board 20. Member 48 preferably is of transversely arched configuration, as best seen in FIG. 4, and inclines upwardly and rearwardly from a rounded front edge portion. The water-deflecting member 48 preferably has its rear edge terminating forwardly and above the bolt eye 44 and extends therearound to the side edges 24 of the board as illustrated in FIG. 3. The lower free end of the bolt shank 42 is engaged in a screw-threaded retainer or nut 50 abutting the bottom surface of the board 20. A hand line or rope 52 is secured at one end to the bolt eye 44, as by knotting thereof at 54. At its opposite end the line is anchored to an intermediate portion of the line as by means of a retainer or clamp 54 so as to define a loop portion 56. A tubular hand grip member 58 encircles a portion of the loop 56, the same preferably being rigid so as to cause the loop portion to assume a triangular shape in use, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The hand line or rope 52 will preferably be of a length slightly less than the length of the board 20.

In use, the front end of the tow line 36 is anchored to a towing boat, and the user grasps the hand grip 58 on the hand line 52 and stands upon the rearpart of the board 20 with his weight substantially balanced laterally of the longitudinal center line of the board. The user assumes this position preferably near the shore of the lake or stream in shallow water, before the towing operation commences. As the towing boat applies a pull upon the towing rope, the board is tilted forwardly and upwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the pull of the rope being exerted upon the board spaced from its front by the portion of the rope passing under the front of the board. As the boat gathers speed, the board planes in the water and follows truly the direction of the boat as long as the weight of the user is substantially centered laterally upon the board. One characteristic of the device is that the board will plane in the water at a lower speed than is required to produce planing of conventional water skis or planing boards. Consequently, the board can be used when towed by boats of lower power and having less speed potential than is required for the operation of conventional water skis and planing boards.

Important characteristics of the board are the equiangular relation of the side edges 24 to the longitudinal center line of the board and the downward and inward bevel of the side edges 24, 30. These features enhance the stability of the unit and insure its normal tendency, when laterally balanced, to follow a straight course behind the towing boat without requiring the use of longitudinal ribs or fins, as is common in water skis and planing boards or toboggans. This true and straight travel following the towing boat occurs when the board is unoccupied, as well as when a user is balanced thereon, and the unoccupied board thus is rendered of minimum danger from side sway when free, as in cases where a user has fallen therefrom.

The board is highly maneuverable during use, and such maneuvering can be accomplished by the simple expedient of shifting the weight of the user on the board to tilt it laterally slightly and thereby cause it to swing laterally from a true path following the towing boat. After such maneuvering the board is restored to a true following or trailing path by restoring to lateral balance the distribution of the weight of the user upon the board relative to the longitudinal center line of the board. The beveled edges at the sides of the board at 30 assist in restoration of the normal straight or trailing towing action regardless of the angle of longitudinal tilt as determined by the longitudinal position at which the user stands upon the board and the longitudinal position at which the tow rope 36 is connected to the board.

The size of the board may vary within a wide range of sizes and can be selected according to the weight of the user and the speed at which the unit will be towed. Thus children and persons of light weight can use boards of smaller size than are required by heavy adults. Similarly, if the board is to be towed by a boat whose speed potential is low, the board should be of larger size than is required with a board which can be towed at high speed. A board which has been found to serve well for use by adults towed behind boats of slow to moderate speed ranges may be of a size range of from forty-two to fifty inches in length. It is preferred that the width of the board be substantially equal to its length, although this relationship is not critical and a substantial variation may occur. Thus a board of a length of forty-six inches may be of a width of forty inches or less or of a width exceeding its length. In boards of the size range from forty to fifty inches in length, the apertures 32 will preferably be located from ten inches to twenty inches rearwardly from the front edge of the board.

One of the interesting characteristics of the device is that it will enable jumps from any given jump ramp made at a selected speed of travel to be longer than can be accomplished by the use of conventional water skis or toboggans or planing boards when towed at the same speed over the same jump ramp.

The water-deflecting member 48 serves several functions. One of its functions is to provide an air pocket or low pressure area at the front or nose of the board during starting when the same is immersed, thereby facilitating starting of the tow. Another function which it serves is to assist in righting the board if it is inverted incident to a fall of the user from the board.

The board may assume shapes difierent from that illustrated in FIG. 1. Examples of other shapes are shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 utilizes a board 60 having a transverse front edge 62 and a transverse rear edge 64 substantially parallel to the front edge 62 and rearwardly diverging side edges 66 extending equiangularly relative to the longitudinal center line of the board. In this construction one of a series of apertures 68 located on the longitudinal center line of the board adjacent the front end thereof provides for connection of a tow rope thereto (not shown). A longitudinally projecting rigid member 70 connected to the front center portion of the board extends longitudinally therefrom and provides at its front end, as at an opening 72, for connection of a hand line (not shown). The edges 62 and 66 of this board will preferably have a downward and inward bevel as previously described, and the tow line will be connected at one end at one aperture 68 and will extend forwardly therefrom beneath the board.

The form or embodiment shown in FIG. 6 entails a board 74 having rearwardly diverging side edges 76 equiangularly related to the longitudinal center line of the board, terminating in rear curved corners 78 between which extends a concave curved rear edge 80. The side edges 76 may also be curved, preferably convexly, if symmetry about the longitudinal center line is maintained.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 entails a board 84 having rearwardly diverging side edges 86 and a straight transverse rear edge 88. The curved rear corners 90 in this embodiment are defined by portions of arcs struck from different centers. Thus one part of the curve of the corner 90 may be struck around one center 92, and

, the remaining part of the curve of the corner may be struck around a second center 94. The only element of importance in each embodiment, regardless of the corner configuration, is that the configurations at the two rear corners be similar to provide symmetry.

The device is well suited for mounting of a seat thereon. One embodiment of such a seat is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. In this construction a channel member carries an upright 102 supporting a seat 104 at its upper end. The channel is clamped to the board or otherwise secured thereto in balanced position laterally relative to the longitudinal center line of the board. Any suitable securing means, such as set screws 106, may be employed.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, a channel is anchored to the board 20 in any suitable manner, as by set screws 112. Channel 110 carries one end portion 114 of a leaf spring 116 bent in C-shape, upon whose upper end is carried a seat 118. It will be understood that the leaf spring 116, 114 may be formed integrally with the channel 110, if desired.

The use of a board carrying a seat, such as 104 and 118, is similar to that described above. Thus, assuming'that the seat is laterally centered upon the board,-the user may sit thereon while being towed, and the board will assume a planing position in the water as it is towed and will move in a straight path behind the towing boat. Lateral movement of the ski board relative to a true boat-trailing position may be accomplished by a slight shift of the weight of the user laterally upon the board, and true straight trailing travel is resumed when the unit returns to a laterally balanced position substantially aligned with the towing boat.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A water ski board comprising a flat rigid member of substantially uniform thickness throughout, said member being of a substantially triangular shape substantially symmetrical and balanced relative to the longitudinal center line thereof and having similar rearwardly diverging downwardly inwardly bevelled side edges equiangularly related to said center line and a transverse rear water reactance edge, a hand line, means at the front portion of said member located at said longitudinal center line for anchoring said hand line, upwardly projecting water defleeting means forwardly of said line anchor means and symmetrical relative to said center line, a tow line, and means located on said longitudinal center line spaced rearwardly from said hand line anchor means and forwardly of the longitudinal center of the member for anchoring said tow line to extend forwardly below the front portion of said member.

2. A Water ski board as defined in claim 1, wherein the corners between the side and rear edges of said member are similarly curved.

3. A water ski boa-rd as defined in claim 1, wherein said member has rounded corners, the front corner being beveled downwardly and inwardly.

4. A water ski board as defined in claim 1, wherein said member is buoyant.

5. A water ski board as defined in claim 1, wherein said tow line anchoring means constitutes an aperture in said member through which said tow line extends, and said tow line has an enlarged end bearing on the top surface of said member around said aperture.

6. A water ski board as defined in claim 1, wherein said member has a plurality of spaced apertures located on said center line to define said tow line anchoring means, said tow line passing through one of said apertures and having an enlarged end bearing on the top of said member around said one aperture.

7. A water ski board as defined in claim 1, wherein said water deflecting means constitutes an arched rearwardly upwardly inclined deflector carried by said member adjacent said hand line anchor means.

8. A water ski board as defined in claim 1, and a seat carried by said member in spaced relation thereabove and equispaced from the opposite rear corners of said member.

9. A water ski board as defined in claim 1, and a part secured to the central rear marginal portion of said member, a seat support carried by and projecting upwardly from said part, and a seat carried by said support spaced above said member and equispaced from the opposite rear corners of said member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,910,708 11/ 1959 Albright 93 10 2,918,684 12/ 1959 Sackett 93 10 3,050,751 '8/ 1962 Moon 93 10 3,079,617 3/ 1963 Brasch 93 10 3,123,844 3/1964 Bailey 93 10 3,182,341 5/ 1965 Riefile 93 10 3,294,345 12/ 1966 Cottrell 244-3 FOREIGN PATENTS 753,711 8/1933 France.

992,182 7/ 1951 France. 1,352,973 1/ 1964 France.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SAUBERER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WATER SKI BOARD COMPRISING A FLAT RIGID MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS THROUGHOUT, SAID MEMBER BEING OF A SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPE SUBSTANTIALLY SYMMETRICAL AND BALANCED RELATIVE TO THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE THEREOF AND HAVING SIMILAR REARWARD DIVERGING DOWNWARDLY INWARDLY INWARDLY BEVELLED SIDE EDGES EQUIANGULARLY RELATED TO SAID CENTER LINE AND A TRANSVERSE REAR WATER REACTANCE EDGE, A HAND LINE, MEANS AT THE FRONT PORTION OF SAID MEMBER LOCATED AT SAID LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE FOR ANCHORING SAID HAND LINE, UPWARDLY PROJECTING WATER DEFLECTING MEANS FORWARDLY OF SAID LINE ANCHOR MEANS AND SYMMETRICAL RELATIVE TO SAID CENTER LINE, A TOW LINE, AND MEANS LOCATED ON SAID LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE SPACED REARWARDLY FROM SAID HAND LINE ANCHOR MEANS AND FORWARDLY OF THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER OF THE MEMBER FOR ANCHORING SAID TOW LINE TO EXTEND FORWARDLY BELOW THE FRONT PORTION OF SAID MEMBER. 